Device for automatically controlling closing hatchway or other doors



ism connected with the doors have been set FREDERICK F. JACKSON,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING CLOSING HATCHWAY OR OTHER DOORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,517, dated February11, 1896.

Application filed August 21, 1894.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FREDERICK F. JACKSON, of Chicago, in the county ofCook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Device forAutomatically Controlling the Closing of Hatchway or other Doors, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a device for automatically controlling theclosing of hatchwaydoors or other forms of doors; and it has for itsobject to provide a system of wiring used in connection withthermostats, the wiring being connected with a lock mechanism throughthe medium of which the door or doors will be permitted to close by theaction of heat upon the thermostats, and furthermore, if desired, toprovide a retarding mechanism by means of which the doors may beprevented from closing for a predetermined length of time, although thethermostats, wiring system, and other operating mechanin operation, andfurthermore, if desired, to provide an alarm to be sounded when thethermostats have been acted upon by a suitable degree of heat.

The invention consists in the novel con struction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out inthe claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a building, illustrating the applicationof the invention to the several floors thereof. Fig. 2 is a diagrammaticview illustrating the wiring of one of the floors and the arrangement ofthe various parts operated from the said wires. Fig. 3 is a detail viewof the thermostat employed. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through thethermostat, illustrating it as applied to a ceiling. Fig. 5 is a frontelevation of the mechanism of the alarm and retarding device. Fig. 6 isa side elevation of one of the gravitylocks. Fig. 7 is an edge viewthereof. Fig. 8 illustrates in detail the lock for holding the door openand the manner in which the said lock is directly operated; and Fig. 9is a sec- Serial No. 520,895. (No model.)

tion through one of the doors with the lock in side elevation.

The invention may be said to comprise a shifting device connected withthe bolts or looks proper of the doors, a gravity-lock connected withthe shifting device, and thermostatically-controlled wires, which beingaffected by heat cause the gravity-lock to release the catch mechanismof the doors and allow them to close, but so constructed that whendesired the thermostatically-arranged wires may be conducted to an alarmand re tarding mechanism and thence to the gravitylook.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated each floor as provided with a gravity-lock,but it will be evident from the description to follow that if it isdesirable an alarm and retarding mechanism may be employed, the wiringof all the floors in that event being connected with one alarm andretarding device.

The gravity locking device A is shown in detail in Figs. 6 and 7, and isadapted to be secured to the ceiling. The frame of the device usuallyconsists of two brackets or hangers 10 and 11, the bracket 11 beinglonger than the bracket 10, and the two brackets are connected by one ormore cross-bars 12. Bearings 13 are secured upon the cross-bars 12, anda shaft 14 is journaled in said bearings. Upon this shaft 14 agravity-lever 15 is pivoted, provided with a segmental inner end surface16, which segmental inner end usually consists of a plate riveted orotherwise secured to the lever. At the opposite end of the shaft 14 atrip-lever 17 is pivoted, and these two levers are usually connectedbymeans of a cross-bar 18; but, when the lovers are fast to the shaftand the shaft revolves, the cross-bar may be omitted. A weight 19 isconnected by a link or otherwiseto the outer end of the gravitylever 15,and a wire 19 is secured to the outer end of the trip-lever '17, adaptedto be carried to an alarm and retarding mechanism.

A retaining and releasing lever 20 is fulcrumed near its lower endbetween or upon the cross-bars 12 of the frame, as shown in Fig. 6. Thesaid lever is hooked or curved at its lower end to receive a link 21,attached to a shifting-lever 23, fulcrumed preferably between its centerand one end upon the extension of the hangers 11, and saidshifting-lever provided with a friction-roller 61 and secured upon whatis the back of the door when in an upright position. The friction-rollerof the latch when the door is upright is in engagement with the rearface of a substantially ring-like keeper 62, pivoted at its bottomportion to a wall or like support, and it is provided at its top with anattached arm 63, the said arm being passed through a guide-strap 6i, andthe said keeper is held normally in lockin g position by means of aspring 65. The keeper, however, is also connected, through the medium ofits arm 63, with a shifting device D, which shifting device usuallyconsists of an endless chain belt 66, which is carried alongside of theouter face of the hatchway from top to bottom of the building, passingover suitable drums or wheels 67 at its ends, as shown in Fig. 1, andthe said chain is connected by short lengths of chain 68 with theshifting-levers 23 of the gravity-locks employed, and the oppositestretch of the shifting-chain has attached to it also short lengths ofchain 69, each of said lengths being passed over a guide-pulley 7 0 toan engagement with a keeper 62 of a hatchway-door lock. Thus when theendless-chain shifting device is 1'0- tated by the movement of the lever23 under the influence of the weight 22 the shorter chains 69 will drawupon the keepers 62 and release said keepers from engagement with thelatches of the doors, permitting said doors to close.

In operation, should an y of the thermostats become affected by heat tosuch an extent as to loosen or slacken connecting-wire 55, the zigzagtension-wire 57 will in turn slacken tension'wire 19 and the slack thuscaused will relieve the trip-lever 17 of the gravitylock from tension,whereupon the weight 19 of the lever 15 will draw the outer end of thesaid lever down and carry its segmental extension 16 from engagementwith the releasing-lever 20 of the said gravity-lock, whereupon the link21, which holds lever 23, carrying the weight 22, will slip from thereleasing-lever and drop the shifting-lever 23 of said gravity lock,elevating its short end, thereby drawing up the short stretch of chain68 connected with that end and moving the endless-chain releasing device66, an d this movement of the endless chain 66 will cause the shortsections of chain 69 upon the opposite side to operate upon the lockmechanism of the hatchway-doors in a manner to release the said doorsfrom the locks, permitting them to close and thereby confining the fireto the compartment or apartment in which the fire originated.

As observed in the foregoing description of the operation of the doors,it will be seen that for effective service the system is completewithout employing the alarm and retarding mechanism; but for convenienceI have provided such an arrangement, and when desired thethermostatically-controlled wire 19 may be conducted to the lever orbutton 46 of the alarm and retarding mechanism shown in Fig. 5, and whensuch mechanism is employed connection is made from the zigzagtension-wire 57 by wire 19 direct to lever 26.

lVhen the alarm and retarding device is dispensed with, the Wire orwires 19 will be connected directly with the thermostatically-controlledwire 57, as will be seen in the lower part of Fig. 1.

WVhen the alarm and retarding mechanism is used, should any of thethermostats become affected by heat to such an extent as to loosen orslacken the zigzag tension-wire 57, the slack of the wire will permitthe weighted lever 26 in the alarm and retarding device with which thetension device is connected to fall, carried down by its Weight.Therefore the lever 29 in such device will drop at its free end,disengaging its hook 31 from the link 32 in the cable 33, and the weight36 of this cable will therefore drop downward, unreeling the cable fromthe reel 40 and causing an alarm to be sounded, and the doors willclose; but if an attendant upon hearing the alarm pushes in the button4A, the reel will be stopped from revolving, and if the button ispressed in before the button 48 on the cable 33 reaches thereleasing-lever 47 the doors in the hatchway will remain open, andparties may escape by means of the elevator, if found expedient. Themoment, however, that the push-button 44: is relieved from pressure, the

weight 36 will continue to unreel the cable 33, and when the button 43of said cable reaches the long end of the releasing-lever 47 it willraise said lever and will release the button 45 carrying the trip-wire19 and said wire will slip from said button and relieve the trip-lever17 of the gravity-lock from tension, and the further operation of themechanism will be as hereinbefore described.

It will be observed that this device is eX- ceedingly simple anddurable, entirely automatic and perfectly reliable, and that an alarmmay be sounded, but provision is made for not dropping the doors untildesired, at which time the doors will be automatically closed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. In a device for automatically operating doors ofhatchways or other openings, devices for holding the doors in an openposition, a shifting chain or cable, spring-controlled flexibleconnections extending from the said cable to the said devices, and areleasing device connected to the cable and operated through theinfluence of heat, substantially as described.

2. In a device for automatically operating doors of hatchways or otheropenings, a shiftin g device operatively connected with the doors,operating means for moving the shifting device, a retaining device fornormally holding the said operating means inactive, a locking mechanismfor holding the retaining device in its normal position, athermostatically-controlled connection secured to said locking mechanismand normally exerting tension thereon in one direction, and operatingmeans likewise secured to the locking mechanism and permanently exertingtension thereon in the opposite direction to thethermostatically-controlled connection to so actuate the lockingmechanism, upon the automatic operation of thethermostatically-controlled connection, as to release the retainingdevice and thereby allow the shifting device to be operated,substantially as described.

3. In a device for automatically operating doors of hatchways or otheropenings, a shifting device operatively connected with the doors, aweight for moving the shifting device, a retaining-lever for normallyholding the said weight inactive, a locking-lever constructed to holdthe retaining-lever in its normal position, athermostatically-controlled connection secured to the locking-lever andexerting tension thereon in one direction, for holding the locking-leverin its normal position, and a weight likewise secured to thelocking-lever and exerting tension thereon in the opposite direction tothe thermostaticallycontrolled connection, for actuating thelocking-lever to release the retaining-lever, upon the automaticoperation of the thermostatically-controlled connection, and therebyrelease the weight which moves the shifting device, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a mechanism for operating fire-doors, or doors for elevators, orfor other openings, a releasing mechanism operated through the influenceof heat, and a retarding device, whereby the operation of the releasingmechanism may be temporarily suspended, as and for the purpose setforth.

5. In a mechanism for operating fire-doors, or doors for elevators orother openings, zigzag tension-wires located upon a predeterminedsupport, thermostats controlling said wires, a shifting device adaptedfor operation upon the fastenings of the doors, an alarm and retardingmechanism operated by the action of heat upon thethermostatically-controlled zigzag tension-wires when released by thethermostats, and a trip connection between the alarm and retardingdevice and the said shifting device, substantially as and for thepurpose specified.

6. In a mechanism for operating fire-doors, or doors for elevators orother openings, a thermostat, zigzag tension-wires controlled by thesaid thermostat, an alarm and retarding device operated by the zigzagtensionwires when released from tension, a shifting device connectedwith and adapted to operate the lockin g mechanism of the doors, a tripconnection between the alarm and retarding device and the shiftingdevice, and the trip connection between the alarm and retarding deviceand the shifting device formed when slack occurs in the zigzagtension-wire, substantially as shown and described, as and for thepurpose set forth.

7. In a mechanism for operating fire-doors, or doors for elevators orother openings, a shifting device adapted for operating the lock of thedoor, an alarm, a trip connection between the alarm and the shiftingdevice, a releasing mechanism operated from the zigzag tension-wires andadapted to operate the said trip connection, and a retarding mechanism,whereby the action of the releasing device may be temporarily suspended,as and for the purpose set forth.

8. In a mechanism for operating fire-doors, or doors for elevators orother openings, a shifting device adapted for connection with the saiddoors, an alarm thermostatically 0perated, a trip connection between thealarm and the shifting devices, and a retarding mechanism, whereby theaction of the said connection may be temporarily suspended, as and forthe purpose specified.

9. In a mechanism for operating fire-doors, or doors for elevator orother openings, a device consisting of an alarm and a retardingmechanism, the said alarm being thermostatically operated, and a tripmechanism operated from the alarm, controlled by the retarding mechanismand adapted for connection with the latches of the doors under control,as and for the purpose specified.

10. In a device for controlling fire-doors, elevator-doors, or theequivalents thereof, a shifting mechanism connected with the lookingdevices of the doors, a gravity-lock connected with the shiftingmechanism, an alarm thermostatically operated, and a trip connectionbetween the said alarm and the gravitylock, substantially as shown anddescribed.

11. In a device for controlling fire-doors, elevator-doors, or theequivalents thereof, a shifting mechanism connected with the lookingdevices of the doors, adapted to operate the same, a gravity-lockconnected with the shifting mechanism, a thermostatically-operated alarmand a retarding mechanism, and a trip connection, substantially as shownand described, between the alarm and the gravity-lock, as and for thepurpose specified.

FREDERICK F. JACKSON.

WVitnesses:

A. M. GARDNER, CHARLES G. PEELLE.

{No Model.)

G. F. FELLOWS. CARTRIDGE LOADING IMPLEMENT.

Patented Feb. 25, 1896.

FTQ E INVENTEJR WITNESSES.

ANDREW EGRAH'AM. PNDTG UYNQWASNINGTDI. D C

